Global Gateway Reinforces EU Global Health Strategy with Half-Billion Euros Injection
On 26 October 2023 during the Global Gateway Forum (#GGF2023) in Brussels, the EU announced an additional EUR 500 million for #GlobalHealth. The EU Global Health Strategy is program which involves the European Commission (EC), the European Investment Bank (EIC) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Out of the half billion euros, EUR 154 million is earmarked for Africa to ‘ramp up local pharma production and to promote vaccine equity.’ The six countries are 1. Rwanda (€40M), 2. Ghana (€32M), 3. Senegal (€25M), 4. Nigeria (€18M), 5. South Africa (€16M) and 6. Egypt (€3M). In particular, the EU envisions to apply the #mRNA vaccine technology to highly prevalent diseases in Africa such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV-AIDS.
“One of the key lessons of the COVID pandemic was that vaccine and medicines sovereignty is key to defeating global health threats. This is why, also thanks to Global Gateway, Team Europe is investing massively in local vaccine and medicines production around the world, with more than €1.2 billion for Africa already. Among many other projects, the mRNA technology vaccine manufacturing in Africa and for Africa will be a game changer to fight many diseases, from Malaria to COVID.”
EC President Ursula von der Leyen
In all, the amount for advancing the #GlobalHealth Strategy now stands at EUR 1.6 billion under the partnership among the EC, EIB and Gates Foundation. The initiative aims to better prepare the world to face the next pandemic.
The new wave of funding will complement existing programs such as the Team Europe Initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies in Africa (MAV+). These health initiatives were launched by the EU in May 2021, following calls from African leaders for localization of the pharma production and better #VaccineEquity which became an extremely severe issue during the #COVID pandemic.
“With its Global Health Strategy, the EU is committed to strengthening health systems and securing global chains around the world, while boosting our partners’ strategic autonomy, promoting universal health coverage and preventing future health emergencies. These additional Global Gateway support measures will bring in more actors from the private sector and civil society. Notably, they provide targeted support to our African partners in building capacities of local production of pharmaceuticals and medical technology.
EC Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen
As part of the larger picture, the EU will work with AU to achieve quality, safe, effective and affordable health as per the UN #SDG 3 and, in particular, SDG 3.8 for Universal Health Coverage. Facilitating access to therapeutics represents a significant business opportunity which addresses several ‘development objectives and geopolitical priorities’ shared by both the EU and AU.